The Antagonists is a 1971 historical novel by Ernest K. Gann telling a fictionalized account of the siege of the Masada citadel in Israel by the 10th Legion of the Roman Empire in AD 73. The novel was adapted as a television miniseries, Masada, broadcast first in 1981. The two antagonists of the title are Eleazer ben Yair, leader of the Jewish Zealots who make a final stand on Masada; and the Roman general Flavius Silva.
A sequel, entitled The Triumph, was published in 1986.
Overview The novel explores the themes of leadership and patriotism by comparing and contrasting the two protagonists/antagonists of the story. Little survives from history, so the account is heavily fictionalized.
See also The Dovekeepers (novel)
References
External links Movie Review: Masada, The Prayer Foundation, 8 May 2008.